Posted by Rich (152.163.188.34) on October 29, 2002 at 15:10:39:
In Reply to: Jan's new method of 'Reverse Psychology' posted by Jan den Breejen (213.75.42.38) on October 29, 2002 at 14:18:55:
> I now advise management teams about the mix of character styles that make the management team. I use the Oldham Styles and often the problem is not that a style is present, but that some styles are not present. We can think of the analogy of a person needing a mix of vitamins to stay healthy, when some vitamins are lacking, health problems occur.
> Now we could apply this concept to a individual as well. Say that a person scores extremely low on Agressive Style, this could be the starting point for coaching the person into behaving more assertively. If the person is low on Vigilant Style, we can learn him/her to be not so naive and more sceptical towards what people say. Etcetera.
> Psychology and therapy today tend to focus on the side-effects of the strongest character style. I think a complement is needed: focussing to on the styles that get beneath a certain minimum level of presence needed in order to function wel in society.
> Comments anyone?
> Jan
Hello Jan:
Its only a common sense approach. Here in the USA, classes are being offered to correct weak styles. When I worked at ATT, employees could sign up for " assertiveness training ", and " combating negativity ". The second one might be seen as a defense against a too strong style, but it was oriented to becoming more acceptive and productive....
Any good profiling system should also deal with weaknesses ,maladjustments, and under & non developed traits.... In theory, the Enneagram is about what to do with over deveolped styles- traits that themsleves have become weaknesses. And with the styles and traits that we have neglected, or not considered important. Millon & Oldham see the difference between style and disorder as increasing maladjustment to life. That, naturally, includes the things we have not chosen to use. For example, empathy in the narcissistic, or reality checking in the paranoid.... Every style has areas passed over, and thats not to say that they are unimportant! Rich